Missoula food truck M-80 Chicken to open downtown restaurant

MISSOULA, Mont. – The popular M-80 Chicken food truck in Missoula is set to transition from its wheels to a permanent location. The local couple behind the venture, Nick Jackson and McKenna Cramer, announced they will be opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Downtown Missoula.

The couple, who have lived in the area for 12 years, first launched the food truck in 2020 after being laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jackson shared, "What really kick-started this whole journey was in 2020, both me and my wife McKenna were laid off due to Covid layoffs ..



. So, we had a little bit of time to regroup while the world was shut down and we said, 'Well maybe it's time to take a stab at something on our own'." Their new restaurant will be located in the former site of the Shack Cafe, a cherished location for many Missoulians.

Cramer expressed her excitement by saying, "When the Shack space came to our attention...

It was like what really pushed us to take this next step...

It's such an iconic location, Missoulians remember it, it was operational for years and years and we're really doing everything we can to honor that legacy." Both Cramer and Jackson have ties to the University of Montana as former athletes in track and field and cheerleading. They credit the Missoula community for their continued support.

Jackson noted, "Over the last four and a half, five years we've just seen an overwhelming amount of support from the community and what we're doing and that kind of gave us the gumption to be like 'this is a real thing, we can do this.'" With the new restaurant, the couple plans to offer more menu items and extended hours. While the exact date of the grand opening remains uncertain, it is planned for this summer.

They will bid farewell to the food truck on May 17 as they prepare for this new chapter. Cramer expressed gratitude, saying, "I just feel so much gratitude, I think we both feel so much gratitude for our community..

. And yeah. Keep it local.

".